The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-01-27
A Cotton Prlncipallty.

A Cotton Prlncipallty.
Mr.. @. T. Mason, Jr., the inventor of
the Cotton Harvester, was in the city yes.
terday, and was at the Charleston Hotel.
Mr.. Mason has just returned from an ex-
tended trip to the Mississippi Valley,
where he had gone with view OF making
observations as to the extent and charac.
Ter of cotton-g growing and picking in that
famous aud favored region. Primarily,
Mr.. Mason's object was to ascertain
whether he could adapt his Cotton lar.
vester to the class of cotton grown in that
section.
Tt Q p .rticuIar section visited hy Mr.
Mason was Greeuville. in the northern
part ofthe Mississippi Valley. Near that
place is located the plantation-or rather
p!antations-of Major James S. Richard.
son. Mr.. Mason said that Major Rich
ardson, whose place be visited by special
invitation, received him with the utmost
courtesy and kindness and spared no pains
to make his stay both pleasant and pro.
ftable. The area of land planted in cot
ton by Major Richardson, Mr.. Mason
said, is the largest cultivated by any sin.
gle planter in the world. The plantations
begin at line about FIVE miles from
Greenville and extend along the river, in
varying breadth for distance of about
twenty miles. The territory under cul.
tivation last year was about $4,000 acres,
which will, it is expected, be increased
this year to about $4,000 acres.
Apart from the interest found in so
extensive domain, Mr.. Mason said that
he was struck with the system under
which its vast operations are conducted.
The organization of the plantations is
complete in every detail. Every process
can be inspected from the planting of the
seed to the weaving OF the cotton fabric.
On the place there are cotton seed oil
mills, cotton congresses, cotton gins,
cotton factory, and furnaces for the burn
ing of the cotton seed hulls. &c. Each of
the several plantations which make up
Major Richardson's estate has upon it
sufficiently large store for the convenience
of the employees on each subdivision.
The stores are connected by telephone.
Each plantation is in charge oi an over
seer, who is responsible to a general
superintendent, whose residence has tele.
graphic communication with New Or.
leans.
Mr.. Mason said that, Notwithstanding
the vast extent of the Industry carried on
by Major Richardson, he used very little
improved machinery. This was the more
impressed upon Mr. Mason from his
knowledge that Major Richardson is re.
garded as progressive and enterprisiDg
planter. Major Richardson said that the
reason for bis adherence TO the old methods
was that it was impossible to pick all the
cotton that matured. The region was
wonderfully fertile; no fertilizer is need.
ed, and therefore, none is used, and the
cotton plant attains luxurisnt growth.
If he used improved agricultural ma
chinery be would be obliged to release
large proportion of his laborers, md this
very fact would be fatal embarrassment
in the picking season. To make the
necessary number Of pickers available at
the required time be was, therefore, oblig
ed to resort to the expedieucy Of keeping
them engaged on the plantation through.
out the season, which really necesssitated
the employment of nearly double the
number of hands actually needed. The
capacity ofsuch plantation was, in fact,
only limited by the ability to pick its
products.
MIR. Mason said that he had gone
through miles of plantations, which nom-
inally had been picked" but which, to
his notion, had really not been picked
at ALL The. ground WAS sirewn with cot.
ton, which will be turned under by the
plough when the next crop is put in.
The average height of the plant was
about fee feet, aud, as may well he
imagined, the boundless areas in the
season Of harvest offered to the view the
appearance Of sea of snow. The aver
age yield of these $4,000 acres is between
one and two bales to the acre.
Mr.. Mason discussed at length with
Major Richardson tie merits of the Cot
ton Harvester. Major Richardson ex.
pressed himself appreciatively in regard
to its importance as factor in the bar
ves;ing of the crop.
As result Of his visit to Major Rich
ardson's place MIR. Mason will furnish
him next year with number of ma
chimes specially adapted to the picking of
the prolific and luxurant kind of cotton
that grows in the Mississippi Valley
Ne,cs and Courier.
"A stout Irish woman, q servant em.